This week’s blog piggy back’s on Bridget Small’s recent post on the FTC’s most recent consumer protection blog. The Consumer Education Specialist shares the out of balance fact that she will drive for a week with her car’s Check Engine light blinking, but if a security warning shows up on her computer, she acts immediately. The key in both cases is to act prudently.

Scammers have been taking advantage of people like her, who care about computer security. They ran operations in the US and overseas that used pop-up messages and phone calls to convince people their computers needed fixing. The callers pitched unnecessary — and sometimes harmful — tech support services that cost people time and money. In response, the FTC launched a national and international effort to stop these scams and get money back to the victims.

The fraudsters in these cases sent ominous pop-up messages that looked like security warnings about things like viruses or malware. The messages urged people to call a toll-free number. The telemarketers who answered falsely claimed they were connected to well-known companies like Microsoft, Apple or Norton. The telemarketers tried to convince people there were serious problems with their computers, and sometimes got remote access to the computers to run fake “diagnostic tests.” They persuaded people that ordinary things on their computers were real problems. Then, they tried to get people to pay for software or services they didn’t need to “fix” problems that didn’t exist.

If you get a pop-up, call, spam email or any other urgent message about a virus on your computer stop. Don’t download anything, don’t call the number on the pop-up and don’t give anyone control of your computer. If you think you downloaded malware or gave a cybercriminal access to your computer, update or download legitimate security software and scan your computer. Delete anything the software says is a problem. And be sure to report tech support pop-ups and calls to the FTC.

For more on cyber safety and identity theft practice visit www.hvshred.com

Memorial Day is approaching and the summer travel season. This week’s blog focuses on tips to limit exposure to identity theft in that process-maximize fun—minimize risk!

Travel scams can take on many forms, and they can strike at any point along your journey, from before you leave home until well after you return.

While planning a trip, you might encounter online booking scams, popup ads for “amazing” deals that install viruses on your computer, or bait-and-switch scams that offer you incredible deals on stunning accommodations that don’t even exist. Thoroughly research before booking.

During your trip, you have to be mindful of a wide variety of scams and frauds. It might be the stranger in need who steals your money, a local official scheme that extorts money from you for supposedly breaking the law, hackers who steal your information when you connect to hotel or public wifi, or any number of other methods of attack.

Once you return to the safety of your own home, you’re still not out of the woods when it comes to a travel scam. You may find out the hard way that someone copied your credit card while you were away—something that can happen quite easily in a restaurant or hotel—and is now using it widely. You might receive phone calls or emails informing you that you ran up extra charges and are expected to pay them (charges you didn’t actually make, but how will you prove it now?). It could even be an unscrupulous property owner who now claims outrageous damages to the rental property where you stayed.

Be vigilant about the way you use your credit cards and other sensitive accounts. Keep monitoring activity before, during and upon return. Stay informed on the latest scams. Book through trusted sources.

Nothing will replace being smart about your accounts and your personal identifiable information; monitoring your online accounts regularly and knowing what types of information you’re sharing will help you safeguard yourself.

For more on identity theft protection best practices, please visit legalshred.com

This week’s blog is adapted from a recent post by Consumer Education Specialist Lisa Lake on the FTC’s website OnGuardOnLine.

According to Lake, The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FTC are trying to get the word about a scam with scammers posing as federal employees trying to get or verify personal information.

Sometimes, the caller asks you to verify your name, and then just hangs up. Other times, he or she might ask for detailed information — like the last digits of your Social Security or bank account number. Imposters might say they need this information to help you or a family member. But their real reason is to steal from you or sell your information to other crooks.

Your caller ID might even read “HHS Tips” or “Federal Government” when they call. The phone number could have the “202” Washington, DC area code, the headquarters for many federal agencies. The phone number may even be for a real government agency. But don’t be fooled: Scammers know how to rig their caller Ids to reflect false information.

So how can you tell the caller is an imposter?

The federal government typically will contact you by U.S. Mail first, not by phone or email.

Federal agencies will not demand personal informationlike your Social Security Number or bank account number over the phone. Also, just because the caller knows details about you, doesn’t mean she is trustworthy.

The caller typically asks you to send money – often via wire transfer, by using a prepaid debit card, or maybe by sending you a fake check to cash. Federal agencies will notask you to use any of these methods to send money for any

…and what should you do?

Hang up. Do not give out any personal or financial information.

Contact the Department of Health and Human Services OIGat 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or spoof@oig.hhs.gov

File a complaint with the FTCat ftc.gov/complaint or 877-FTC-HELP.

For more on identity theft protection best practices please visit www.legalshred.com

This week’s blog is adapted from a recent post on the Homeland Security blog “Stop. Think. Connect.”

The posts reminds us that data privacy concerns are a real and rising issue for American citizens and businesses. According to a survey from the National Cyber Security Alliance, 92 percent of Internet users in the United States are worried about online privacy. Even more telling, 68 percent are more worried about not knowing how their personal information is collected online than they are worried about losing income.

Technology is rapidly advancing, creating extraordinary benefits and opportunities, but also creating new risks. Americans are routinely sharing more sensitive information online than ever before including banking information, personal health behaviors and habits, and physical location data. Unfortunately, companies are also routinely experiencing data breaches, which can potentially expose the sensitive personal information consumers readily share. Just as quickly as technology advances, companies and consumers must evaluate and evolve their data privacy habits.
January 28 marked the tenth annual Data Privacy Day, an international effort to raise awareness about the importance of data privacy practices. The Department of Homeland Security encourages all Americans to weigh the benefits and risks of sharing information online, to understand how their information is being used, and to take steps to protect their identities and personal data.
In an increasingly digital age, protecting your privacy online can seem overwhelming. In reality, there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your information online:

Own your online presence. Think carefully about what you post online. Everything you put on the Internet – photos, tweets, and blogs – will be out there for people to see forever. Take ownership of your digital life by making sure that only what you want to be seen is posted.

Lock down your login. Always enable strong authentication for an extra layer of security beyond the password. Strong authentication is available on most major email, social media and financial accounts (e.g., multi-factor authentication that can use a one-time code texted to a mobile device). This protection helps verify that a user has authorized access to an online account.

This week’s blog helps promote a great effort organized by the the Federal Trade Commission–the government office in charge of taking all possible measures to protect American consumers. Seena Gressin’s recent post to the site’s blog promotes Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week celebrated January 30th through February 3rd.

Gressin, an attorney on staff at the FTC remindss us tax identity thieves and IRS imposters are ready for tax season, whether we are or not. Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week is designed to provide education and awareness.

Free webinars and Twitter chats are scheduled for the week of January 30th. Whether you’re a consumer, tax professional, or small business, learn to reduce your risk of tax identity theft, and what to if it happens to you:

January 30, 2 p.m. EST: The FTC, IRS, and National Association of Tax Professionals host a webinar for tax professionals, offering practical guidance about new scams targeting client information, cybersecurity, and how tax professionals can help identity theft victims.

January 31, 3 p.m. EST: The FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center invite consumers to a Twitter chat about tax identity theft.

February 1, 11 a.m. EST: The FTC and the Department of Veterans Affairs co-host a Twitter chat for service members, veterans, and their families. Learn to minimize your risk of tax identity theft and how to recover if it happens to you.

February 1, 1 p.m. EST: The FTC, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration host a webinar about tax identity theft for veterans, their families, and those who serve them.

February 1, 4 p.m. EST: The FTC and IRS offer a webinar for small businesses. Learn about tax identity theft, imposter scams targeting businesses, data breach avoidance and response, and free resources to help you protect your business, employees, and customers.

More often than not, the news around identity theft is disturbing. A recent post by Nat Wood, Associate Director from the Consumer & Business Education at the FTC shows sometimes the good guys prevail.

Over the last few years, the FTC has warned that imposter scams are among the most common types of scams–when callers pretending to be from the IRS demand payments and threaten to arrest people.

The good news is raids on illegal telemarketing operations by the police in India were successful. The US Department of Justice indicted dozens of scammer who also were impersonating the IRS. After those actions, the number of IRS imposter scams reported to the FTC plummeted. A piece by The New York Times gave a back room look at the call centers and the raids that took them down. It’s a great reminder that scammers are organized, and they’re really good liars.

Here are four things that can help you avoid telephone scammers:

The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment, nor will the IRS call about taxes you owe without first mailing you a bill. If you get a live or pre-recorded call claiming to be from the IRS and demanding payment right away, hang up. If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, you can call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040 to explore your options.

Don’t trust your caller ID. Scammers can make caller ID look like anyone is calling: the IRS, a business or government office…If they tell you to pay money for any reason, or ask for your financial account numbers, hang up. If you think the caller might be legitimate, call back to a number you know is genuine – not the number the caller gave you.

Hang up on robocalls. If you pick up the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal.

Talk to someone. Before you give up money or information, talk to someone you trust. Scammers want you to make decisions in a hurry. Slow down, check out the story, search online – or just tell a friend.

For more on best practices in identity theft protection please visit www.legalshred.com

2016 was the year we expanded into Long Island and NYC as well as Massachusettes, Connecticut and New Jersey. We are dedicated to making 2017 our best year ever.

Like each year before it since we incorporated in 2007, 2016 was our best year yet!

We shred and recycled enough confidential paperwork to protect over 24,000 trees and over 4250 cubic feet of landfill. That’s over 15% more than 2015.

As Legal Shred, we will surely surpass those numbers and hit another record in 2017.

Whether you’ve been a client since the beginning or just joined us recently; whether you have used our service just once or twice or on a weekly, monthly, or on-call basis, we are grateful for your support.

In 2017, we will continue to deliver heartfelt, relationship-focused service. Ensuring security, compliance, and sustainability for the business and local community is our top priority. Our team of professionals will provide secure data destruction to safeguard confidentiality and preserve the environment through recycling. We are the identity protection company who puts the confidence in confidential.

As president, I am still at your service and always welcome your feedback, questions, and concerns.

We consider our clients part of our extended family and look forward to continuing to grow and improve with your support and partnership.

Happy New Year–and please let us know what we can do better and what we can offer to satisfy all your data security needs!

Happy New Year! Our first blog of 2017 is adapted from the recent Consumer Reports. The question is whether to invest in identity theft coverage.

Seeking to tap into another area of anxiety, insurance companies are offering identity theft coverage. According to money editor Jeff Blyskal, most coverage, which tends to cost between $25 and $50 per year won’t prevent or even alert you to identity theft. It will reimburse you for losses or expenses that you may incur as a result of the crime. Though that sounds good, most bank and credit card companies already cover most or all losses due to fraud.

According to the Department of Justice’s statistics, 88% of identity fraud victims suffered no out of pocket loss in 2014, the latest year which data are available. Of those who lost money, the median loss was $70.

Insurance company coverage usually includes assistance in straightening out the aftermath of identity theft which is generally easy when the fraud involves credit cards–the most common type–but can be more time consuming for accounts at banks and other institutions.

If you purchase protection, make sure you know what it provides.

Best case scenario is to take all precautions to protect your identity in the first place–including shredding all obsolete confidential records.

For more on best practices for identity theft prevention, please visit www.hvshred.com or www.legalshred.com

Apps have definitely come in handy to make our lives easier. It’s no joke that if you need/want something there’s likely “an app for that”; it’s also no joke that scammers have infested the app world and are using our interest in apps as a gateway to personally identifying information they can use to steal from us–or, at the very least–wreak havoc on our devices.

This week’s blog is adapted from a recent posting to the FTC’s very helpful blog focused on identity theft. We credit Consumer Education Specialist Ari Lazarus for gathering the information.

It’s only natural that fraudsters follow the money. Fake phone apps quickly pop up that impersonate well-known retailers in order to steal your personal information. Their names are similar to well-known brands, and their descriptions promise enticing deals or features.

But these fraudulent apps can take your credit card or bank information. Some fake apps may even install malware onto your phone and demand money from you to unlock it.

Here are some tips to avoid downloading fraudulent apps:

Not sure if a shopping app is legit? Go directly to the retailer’s website and see if they promote it. If they do have an app, they will direct you to the app store where you can download it.

On the web, you can search a brand name, plus “fake app” to see if the company has reported its brand being spoofed.

Look for reviews of the app before you download – both in the app stores and on the web. If the app has no reviews, it was likely created recently, and could be a fake. Real apps for big retailers often have thousands of reviews.

Don’t download apps with misspelled words in their description. Many fake apps were created in a hurry. On the other hand, some fake apps look almost like the real thing.

If you’re using apps for shopping, keep records of your transactions. Screenshot or save the product description and price, the online receipt, and the emails you send and receive from the seller.

As always, monitor your credit card statements frequently; be on the lookout for charges that you don’t recognize.

For more on best practices for identity theft protection, please visit www.hvshred.com

According to Lazarus, it pays to slow down and take some precautions when shopping online. The FTC has recently seen a spike of complaints about online retailers who didn’t deliver goods when they said they would, or didn’t deliver them at all. Late or no-show deliveries can make for less-than-jolly holidays. So here are a few tips to help make your online shopping merry and bright.

First a foremost, do your research. Use search engines to find out more about a product, brand or seller. Type the name into a search engine with words like “review” “complaint” or “scam.”

Definitely take the time to read reviews from other people, experts and columnists. They can give you an idea of how a product performs. Don’t put all your trust in any one review. Some reviews are based on testing by independent experts, others are from people who purchased the product. Both types can be useful.

Thoroughly read the terms of the deal–including delivery dates and refund policies. Can you return the item for a full refund if you’re not satisfied? Who pays the shipping costs or restocking fees? When will you get your order? Can you pay extra for faster delivery? Federal law requires sellers to ship items as promised or within 30 days after the order date if no specific date is promised. Many sites offer tracking options that let you see where your purchase is in the delivery chain, and when you can expect it to arrive.

Finally, make sure you have contact information to follow up if needed. Several sites that generated complaints to the FTC had little or no information on how to get in touch with the company. If you don’t see a phone number or email address, consider it a red flag and take your business elsewhere.

For more on best practices in identity theft prevention and secured destruction of confidential records, please visit www.legalshred.com

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Service was made easy and convenient by staff. Young man was kind and helpful in showing what can and cannot be recycled. He also called when he estimated his arrival and came earlier than expected. The items were transported easily.… Read more “Pam Liss”